Clothes-drying rack



Mmhzo,192s. 1,663,297

O. A. FRUEHAUF CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed Feb.11. 1927 2 sheets-sheen@www March 20, 192s.

C. A. FRUEHAUF CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed Feb.11. i927 2 sheets-snee: 2

Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED sTATEs OSCAR A. FRUEHAUF, OIFy DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CLOTHES-DRYING- RACK.

Application led February 11, 1927. Serial No. 167,416.

This invention relates to clothes drying racks and particularlyrelates'to clothes drying racks for household use. j

It is one object of the invention to provide a rack carrying a number ofclothes lines and adapted to support said lines from the ceiling of abasement or other room, said rack being adjustable to raise or lowersaid lines.

Another object is to provide a simple and convenient mechanism foradjusting the rack and for holding it in its raised position.-

A further object isto provide a rack comprising a pair of spaced metalframes and lines extended between said frames and kto form said frameswith struck-out projections Ifor engagement by the lines.

Theseand various other objects the invention attains by the constructionhereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a clothes drying rack embodying the improvedconstruction.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the frame bars towhich the clothes lines are attached showing the formation of struck-outhooks upon said bar for engagement by the lines.

`Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of a drum forming an element ofthe mechanism for raising and lowering-the rack.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the joint between ahanger and a cross bar of one of the swinging'frames carrying the lines.

Figure 6 is a view in elevation of the rack adjusting means partly insection on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

In these views the reference character 1 designates a suitable number ofspaced clothes lines extending between a pair of swinging supportingframes each comprising a cross bar 2 and a pair of hangers 3 to thelower ends of which the bar 2 is secured. Preferably the bar 2 andhangers 3 are formed of angle iron, and are connected rigidly by bolts3a or the like. v

The upper ends of the hangers 3 are pivoted by bolts l upon angle ironsupports 5 which span adjacent ceiling joists of the basement or otherroom in which the rack is mounted.

When clothes are being placed upon or removed from the lines 1, theframes 2, 3,

preferably hang vertically as shown in full lines in Figure 2. While theclothes are .drying and also when the rack is not in use it ispreferable vto pivotally adjust the rack to the raised positionindicated in dash lines in Figure 2. As a preferred means for adjustingthe rack between the two described positions, a rope 7 or the like, hasits extremities attached to the respective bars 2 preferably by suitableyokes 8. From one of said yokes said rope extends to a pulley 9 mountedupon one of the joists 6, extending down from said pulley to wind upon adrum 10. Said drum preferably consists of a rectangular block havingoppositely projecting trunnions 11 journaled in a suitable bracket 12attached to a post 13 or to a wall of the basement (or other room). Asuitable crank 14 is mounted fast upon one of said trunnions formanually actuating the drum. After making one or two turns around thedrum 10, the rope 7 is carried up and over another pulley 15 on one ofthe joists whence it is extended lengthwise of the rack to pass overanother pulley 16 and downwardly into engagement with the other yoke 8.

Thus it is apparent that by actuation of the drum 10 a pull mayselectively be exerted upon either end of the cord 7 whereby the rackmay be raised or lowered as desired.

Any suitable means may be employed to maintain the raised position ofthe rack against its gravitational tendency to swing down. In thedisclosed embodiment of the device a pin 17 is mounted in one of thebearings of the bracket 12 for alternative engagement with a pair oftransver-se diametral openings 17a formed in the corresponding trunnion11.

To simplify the attachment of the lines to the bars 2 vit is preferableto strike out from each of said bars a row of tongues 18 which arehooked, as best seen in Figure 3, for engagement by the said lines.

The described rack permits a maximum length of clothes line to beextended in a minimum space in a basement or other room and permits saidline to be raised completely out of the way when not in use. Also whenthe lines are in use, the described provision for raising the samepermits the clothes upon said lines to offer a minimum interference withpersons passing beneath the rack.

What I claim is:

1. In a clothes drying rack, the combination with a pair of swingingframes, each comprising a pair of normally vertically disposed hangerspivoted at their upper ends and a cross bar carried by the lower ends ofsaid paired hangers of a plurality of clothes lines extending betweensaid cross bars, an elongated flexible member connecting said cross barshaving its end portions respectively extending oppositely from saidcross bars in a substantially transverse relation to said bars, meansengaging the intermediate portion of said flexible member adapted toexert a pull upon either of said end portions whereby said frames may beswung upwardly toward either of said end portions, and means associatedwith the last named means for holding said frames and clothes lines inan upwardly swung position.

2. 1n a Clothes drying rack, the combination with a pair oit' parallelsubstantially horizontal bars, of a plurality of clothes lines extendingbetween said'bars, a pair ol' `members supporting each of said bars i'orswinging movement about an axis parallel 'to said bars, an elongatedflexible member connecting said bars having its end portionsrespectively extending oppositely from said bars in a substantiallytransverse relation to said barsyand having an intermediate portionextending transversely to and above said bars, and guide membersengaging said flexible member at the junctures of its invtermediateportion and said end portions7 said flexible member having a portiondownwardly extending 'from one of said junetures, means engaging saiddownwardly extending portion adapted to exert'a pull upon either of saidend portions o'l` the flexible member whereby said frames may be swungupwardly toward either of said end portions, and means associated withthe last. named frames for holding the 'frames and clothes lines in anupwardly swung position.

ln testimony whereof l sign thisrspecilication.

OSCAR A. FRUEHAUF.

